Today we’d like to introduce you to Zari Warden.
Hi Zari, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I was a super shy kid growing up. I hid behind my parents and didn’t talk much to people outside my close family. One day, I joined a music class at Reid Temple’s youth summer camp in Glenn Dale, MD.
I sang a solo during the song “Stand by Me” and got a lot of positive comments from my peers. After that, I decided to join my middle school’s choir program. A few people didn’t believe I could sing, so I auditioned for a solo to prove them wrong. I got the solo and many other opportunities, such as duets and trios. I also learned how to sight-read music, which was helpful later on in terms of the work I do now.
In high school, I did choir and joined the musical theater program (shoutout to Laird Thornton. May he rest in peace). I learned to act and dance, but singing was still my favorite part. I took inspiration from musical theater-styled music to write music and learned how to play the ukulele to accompany myself. I almost quit because I didn’t think my songs were good. I didn’t know how to balance my time between music, school, and extracurriculars. But when the pandemic happened, I was so bored that I tried again.
I released project after project. I received positive feedback on my singing and lyricism and valid critiques about my production. So, I refined my producing skills and chose to implement a more pop sound, which was a 360-degree move but the best decision I made for my career. I still implemented the storytelling lyricism that theater brings while keeping everything genre-fluid. From R&B to indie/alternative, I make what I want to create.
I almost majored in vocal performance in college. However, I wanted to do things other than music. I now study film and media along with gender, sexuality, and race studies to learn more about promotion, social media content, other and behind-the-scenes work in the industry, and how to uplift marginalized communities in music and outside of the arts. I enjoy the flexibility of my majors because I don’t have to tie them to music if I want to focus on something else.
In November of 2022, I released the EP “Congratulations, I’m Angry” with the lead single “(Gotta Get) Over You,” the latter now having over 6,000 streams on Spotify alone. I submitted this song and a few others to the Museum of Pop Culture’s “Sound Off!” The program helps artists under 21 have an opportunity to perform. I was one of twelve artists selected, and from that opportunity, I performed in several other locations in Seattle and Tacoma. I also released another pop EP, “Do You Like My Songwriting?” in September, which I’m still promoting.
In 2024, I plan to perform at more venues and release more music as I balance school, work, and life. I’m also continuing to create social media content for my school and other groups in the Seattle-Tacoma area. I look forward to expanding my work to other places in the future.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It hasn’t been a smooth road, but it makes me a more powerful musician and person. The biggest challenges I face are being a minority in the industry and balancing my music career with everything else I have going on.
The industry and the public mistreat black people, especially black women. Black women are frequently hypersexualized and need to work harder because they’re not white or men. People in the industry overlook black (and other POC) women who are managers or producers, as well. I’ve seen so many white people around my age receive opportunities, and their music, in my opinion, is average. Or white managers only choose to work with white men. I feel like I have to work WAY harder than most musicians, and I hope I can work to make the industry better for everyone, which is a part of why I’m studying what I study.
Balancing everything I have is always a struggle. I’m a full-time college student with two on-campus jobs (one as an Office Assistant and the other as a Social Media Associate). I’m the president of an A Cappella group, participating in a vocation program for my junior year, and choir and voice lessons. I still have family and friends to connect with, and I still have to include self-care somehow! That’s everything I do outside of my music.
So many people have full plates now that we’re not stuck in our houses, me included. I’m trying to manage everything and am utilizing therapy to stay sane. I’ve learned these past few months that I need to prioritize my needs more and do what I love instead of being a subject of capitalism and work culture.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I specialize in making music for anyone and everyone to enjoy, regardless of their identity and background. I also specialize in making the music, arts, and creative industry more diverse, inclusive, equitable, and accessible through advocacy and education and implementing what I’ve learned into my shows and career.
I’m most proud of finding my voice and style in music. I’m also proud of exploring different genres. I love exceeding people’s expectations and taking my music to the next level in every song I make. I’m also proud of organizing shows and projects that bring different people into the mix, from working with other minority groups at gigs to supporting youth audiences like me.
Networking and finding a mentor can have a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
I’m lucky to have many people in my corner! I advise people to reach out to people and find opportunities to network in their local community and through online spaces. The worst thing potential mentors can say is no to helping you, and that rejection can lead you to the person you’re to work with. As for networking, social media is where I find the most opportunities to work with folks in person or on the Internet.
I always aim to ask questions about what other people do- how they produce parts of their songs, what equipment they use, their methods of booking shows, what resources they find helpful, and more. There is no such thing as a stupid question. 99% of the time, people have probably thought or wanted to ask the same thing at some point.
Pricing:
- Features – $75 an hour
- Merchandise – contact for more info
- Performances – $75 per hour depending on the event
- Social Media Creation – contact for more info
- You can stream my music on all services!
Contact Info:
- Website: zarialexandria.wordpress.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/zari_alexandria
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zariwarden/
- Twitter: twitter.com/zari_alexandria
- Youtube: youtube.com/c/ZariAlexandria
- SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/zari_alexandria
Image Credits
Chloe Peterson, Karli Kooi, Nate Watters, and Cynthia Sotelo
